Frederick III

Frederick III was the second German Emperor and the ninth King of Prussia. He was the only son of William I and Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. He was raised in the tradition of military service and received a thorough education in history, politics, and languages. He married Victoria, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, in 1858. They had eight children, including Wilhelm II, who succeeded him as emperor. Frederick was a liberal and a reformer who opposed the conservative policies of his father and his chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. He advocated for a constitutional monarchy, a free press, a parliament with more power, and a peaceful foreign policy. He was also interested in science, art, and culture. He supported the unification of Germany in 1871, but he also sought to improve relations with other European countries, especially France and Britain. Frederick became crown prince in 1861 and served as regent for his father in 1878 and 1887. He was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx in 1887 and underwent several unsuccessful surgeries. He finally became emperor on March 9, 1888, after his father's death. However, he was too ill to exercise much influence or implement his reforms. He died on June 15, 1888, after only 99 days on the throne. He was buried in the Friedenskirche in Potsdam. Frederick is remembered as a liberal and a visionary who wanted to modernize Germany and make it more democratic and peaceful. He is also known as the "99-day emperor" or the "unfortunate emperor" because of his short and tragic reign.